Elevating Expectations: 6 Ways Product Quality Affects Your Brand

What constitutes product quality?

Product quality describes a product’s capability to meet user standards. However, what defines “quality” often depends on the type of product, according to Jennifer Garrett, senior vice president of product development and design at JEM Accessories. 

“If it’s a simple product with no user interface tech, then it’s definitely in the materials that make the most [impact on] product quality,” Garrett said. “But if it’s … a smartphone or a tech product, then it’s definitely the user interface.” 

Here are some questions to consider when evaluating a product’s caliber:

• Does it solve a problem? No product would exist if it weren’t solving or improving something. The extent to which it fixes the intended problem helps to determine its quality.
• Is it easy to use? A high-quality product shouldn’t be complicated to use. Customers shouldn’t have to spend too much time trying to figure out how to assemble or work it.
• Is it polished? Colors, dimensions, fonts (if applicable) and other elements of design should be in alignment. The product shouldn’t appear cheap in any way and it should be a comfortable weight for users to hold or interact with.
• Is it efficient? The product should not only get the job done but it should do so efficiently. In other words, it should deliver quickly and require minimal effort from the consumer.
• Is it tailored to your customers? The product should be tailored specifically to users’ needs, showing that you understand your customers and are willing to accept the recommendations they voice. As Garrett noted, “the product] should always make your life better — [it should] never be a hindrance.”

6 reasons product quality is important

Improving your product quality is paramount to preserving your business’s bottom line. Here are six reasons product quality is important.

1. It builds trust with your customers.

Most businesses won’t succeed if they can’t build customer trust; potential sales are lost when brands fail to make deeper connections with prospective buyers. In contrast, when you gain the confidence and loyalty of consumers, you have more freedom to make decisions such as raising prices. Ensuring high-quality products and services is one way to help you get consumers to appreciate and believe in what you have to offer.

Humanizing the company also can help customers connect with your brand. One way to do this is to create newsletters or social media posts that show updates and photos of what employees are working on. If customers begin to associate faces with your company, it will help them connect with your organization more than they would with a faceless corporate entity. Another way to build loyalty and appreciation is to establish a rewards program. Understanding the value of customer loyalty is crucial when trying to establish repeat business.

2. It fuels recommendations.

Most people trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising when making a purchase decision. This is why nothing beats word of mouth when you’re trying to gain customers.

Word-of-mouth recommendations can be a persuasive factor in both online and offline purchasing decisions. Friends and family want to know if someone similar to them had a good experience with a product. The higher-quality product a company has to offer, the better chance it will have at driving positive reviews, recommendations and shares between consumers.

Starting campaigns to get people buzzing about a product is a great way to spread recommendations by word of mouth. You can also respond to complaints or compliments online to show that you provide good customer service, which is another aspect of high product quality.

3. It results in fewer customer complaints and returns.

Marketing studies have proven again and again that companies that produce high-quality products obtain more repeat business. Spend more time and money upfront to perfect a product before it hits the market if you want to minimize customer complaints and returns.

It’s common for sellers of high-quality brands to spend more to persuade consumers to try their goods. The more successful companies are at pleasing customers during their initial experience with a product, the more likely they’ll be to see repeat purchases from those customers. 

Testing products with potential customers or a market research group can help to produce a great product. Most people in these groups will give brutally honest opinions and companies can use that feedback to make improvements to their products.

4. People care about aesthetics.

One dimension of quality is aesthetics — or how a product looks, feels, sounds, tastes and smells. For example, MrTakeOutBags pays close attention to these qualities and it shows in the company’s food service boxes. The colors, prints, shapes, textures and features, such as handles, make all the difference and it’s what sets the brand apart from its competitors. Customers notice these details and they can make or break a sale.

5. It produces a higher return on investment (ROI).

Studies show a strong positive association between quality and profitability. High quality produces a higher ROI for any given market share, while fewer defects are associated with lower manufacturing and service costs.  As long as these gains exceed any increase in expenditures by the firm on defect prevention, profitability will improve. In addition, improvements in performance, features or other dimensions of quality lead to increased sales and larger market shares.

If you have produced a quality product and marketed it effectively, it’s time to see if you can cut costs without sacrificing quality.

6. It strengthens your brand.

Having a high-quality product can increase positive associations with your brand, including desirable qualities like consistency and an understanding of customers’ needs. This, in turn, can strengthen brand recognition and loyalty, increasing the likelihood of long-term success.

“Product quality becomes an identity [of] the brand,” Garrett said. “The success of a brand is determined by maintaining that identity and staying true to it.”

Additionally, good quality reduces liability as your product is more likely to perform as expected. This helps to minimize the risk of lawsuits and ensures that every customer receives a top-performing product. 

How to ensure product quality

Here are a few helpful strategies to ensure high product quality, regardless of your industry or target market.

Identify what’s most important to your brand.

Ensuring product quality starts with determining what’s most important to your brand and staying aligned with those values, according to Garrett. “Is [quality] getting the things quickly and cheaply to the customers that want it?” Garrett asked. “[Or,] is it taking your time and making the best product you can… [regardless of] how much money you spend? 

For premium brands, quality may mean delivering the best possible products, while for economy brands, it could be finding the right intersection between quality, affordability and speed. 

Implement a quality management system.

A quality management system is a set of business practices comprising the planning and execution of delivering a product. The system includes principles that help to prepare a product for its launch, such as customer focus, leadership, research and evidence-based decision-making.

Build a product strategy.

A product strategy details information about a product and the company’s vision for it. It should include clear key performance indicators and priorities that align with your defined measures of success — whether focused on target customers, the market, competitors or business goals. This strategy serves as a roadmap for your product’s journey, from creation to launch.

When establishing your strategy, keep in mind that you’ll likely need to prioritize certain elements of production over others to ensure quality. “I like to say, ‘Good, fast and cheap: Pick two,’” said Garrett.

Consider competitors.

Thinking about your competitors is an important part of developing your product. What are they doing that you aren’t (and vice versa)? How are their products performing? What works for them and why? Answering these questions will put you in a better position to compete with similar businesses in the market.

Test your products and get customer feedback.

It’s essential to test every product before launch — ideally with a subsection of real customers — so you can anticipate how buyers might react. Use the feedback from these tests to uncover changes you might need to make before you release it to the public. 

Once you’ve launched your product, don’t be afraid to ask your customers how you can improve. Use any negative customer feedback to learn more about your consumers and help your products better meet their needs, making adjustments accordingly.

Inspect your products and processes regularly.

After you’ve launched, continually evaluate both your product and its processes to ensure you maintain consistent quality. Consider enlisting quality inspectors to monitor for dips in quality, assessing everything from your product’s packaging and physical appearance to functionality. Use their inspection reports to determine where you need to improve. 

​​Miranda Fraraccio and Sean Peek contributed to this article.